NYCSLS Library Advisory Council
Council Meeting #4
Date: June 11,, 2009
Time: 12:00 - 3:00pm
Place: New York Public Library, Fifth Avenue at 42nd Street Branch
Members in attendance: Kathy Steves, Robert Nelson, Marion Stein, Janna Robbins, Linda Williams Bowie, Linda Cooper, Linda Cuff, Christine Hatami, Carol Katz, Beth St.John, Andrea Vaughn, Susie Walter, Sally Young, Maureen Hurley
Office staff in attendance: Esther McRae, Elizabeth Naylor-Gutierrez, Judith Schaffner, Lynne Kresta Smith, Melissa Jacobs, Barbara Stripling
Documents at meeting:
Libraries Build Independent Learners Through Information Literacy and Inquiry Benchmark Skills
P21 Framework Definitions Document
"New Federal Law Requires Schools to Teach Web Safety"
NAEP Reading Achievement Levels by Grade
OCS Compliance Document - Addition of Library Question
Agenda:
12:00 - 12:30 Eat, meet, greet, introductions - Kathy Steves, NYCSLS Council Chairperson
12:30 - 1:00 News and announcements from Council Members
1:00 - 2:00 College Readiness
2:00 - 2:30 Compliance Checklist
2:30 - 3:00 Cybersafety
News and Announcements:
Melissa reported that the Fall Conference will be held on Tuesday November 3rd, Election Day, at Brooklyn Tech High School. Dr. Ross Todd of Rutgers University will be the Keynote speaker. The theme of the conference will be College Readiness. The DOE has reduced its approved vendors to three jobbers and publishers will go through these jobbers. So we may invite more publishers to display at the conference. There will be a new purchasing module called FLM (FAMIS Librarians Module) which will require librarians to purchase directly through FAMIS. This will empower librarians and offer a citywide discount. A training piece will include BIP along with the new module.
Carol Katz reported that the Summer Reading list will be available online at www.summerreading.org. Melissa added that there will be shared reading lists with TeachingBooks.net. Kathy reported that the theme of the Catholic Schools Seminar was Graphic Novels. Melissa stated that there was positive feedback on the majority of the Spring Conferences. Content will be available on the SLS wiki. Barbara Stripling reports:
Central DOE will begin a new focus on College Readiness, a long-term K-16 strategy to ensure that all students are ready to graduate. When the DOE has a focus, we can meet that with a library approach. The 21st Century Learner (AASL) along with our Information Fluency Continuum and Grade Level Benchmarks demonstrate that libraries are the only department that can meet this need across the curriculum. We will be developing templates for student assessment at our summer institute. We plan to collaborate with CUNY to look at the learning gaps of college freshmen and develop strategies to meet those needs. Robert suggested that we identify a contact person at CUNY.
He added that colleges are beginning to use online assessments and high school students need to become familiar with that testing format. Linda mentioned that TRAILS could be used with the incoming bridge classes over the summer.
A discussion followed regarding the inability of college freshmen to utilize the library effectively, and of their lack of understanding of the need for the library. An additional concern is that many young teachers also feel that the availability of information on the Internet makes libraries and books irrelevant. Robert suggested that librarians offer a presentation to high school students about what is expected of a college-level research assignment. Barbara Stripling reports:
There will be an 11% budget cut mostly from programming. We want to use our funds strategically regarding the DOE college readiness focus. What do we want to create? Mini-grants with a focus on research projects could be be very effective. These could be digital-based projects with an added element of student reflection on the inquiry process. Linda suggested e-portfolios that students could create freshman year and add to each year, always requiring students to reflect on the cognitive process. Students find it helpful to watch their own growth. Robert added that students can attach the e-portfolio to their resumes. Barbara Stripling reports:
Principals have a Compliance Checklist and we now have an opportunity to be included. A discussion followed on developing a question to be added to a checklist that principals would be required to complete. Suggestions were offered and the final version will be forwarded to members. Robert Nelson said that there are older school buildings in the system with no broadband and no libraries in the schools. There is not adequate staffing.There is no funding for improving this condition. He suggested a class action suit against the state since this is counter to state law that mandates libraries in schools. Barbara Stripling said that we need to write curriculum for libraries. Cyber safety = digital citizenship. This needs to be part of the curriculum. We can provide compliance.
Meeting was adjourned at 3:00 PM.
Respectfully submitted by Christine Hatami and Marion M. Stein
Council Meeting #4
Date: June 11,, 2009
Time: 12:00 - 3:00pm
Place: New York Public Library, Fifth Avenue at 42nd Street Branch
Members in attendance: Kathy Steves, Robert Nelson, Marion Stein, Janna Robbins, Linda Williams Bowie, Linda Cooper, Linda Cuff, Christine Hatami, Carol Katz, Beth St.John, Andrea Vaughn, Susie Walter, Sally Young, Maureen Hurley
Office staff in attendance: Esther McRae, Elizabeth Naylor-Gutierrez, Judith Schaffner, Lynne Kresta Smith, Melissa Jacobs, Barbara Stripling
Documents at meeting:
Libraries Build Independent Learners Through Information Literacy and Inquiry Benchmark Skills
P21 Framework Definitions Document
"New Federal Law Requires Schools to Teach Web Safety"
NAEP Reading Achievement Levels by Grade
OCS Compliance Document - Addition of Library Question
Agenda:
12:00 - 12:30 Eat, meet, greet, introductions - Kathy Steves, NYCSLS Council Chairperson
12:30 - 1:00 News and announcements from Council Members
1:00 - 2:00 College Readiness
2:00 - 2:30 Compliance Checklist
2:30 - 3:00 Cybersafety
News and Announcements:
Melissa reported that the Fall Conference will be held on Tuesday November 3rd, Election Day, at Brooklyn Tech High School. Dr. Ross Todd of Rutgers University will be the Keynote speaker. The theme of the conference will be College Readiness. The DOE has reduced its approved vendors to three jobbers and publishers will go through these jobbers. So we may invite more publishers to display at the conference. There will be a new purchasing module called FLM (FAMIS Librarians Module) which will require librarians to purchase directly through FAMIS. This will empower librarians and offer a citywide discount. A training piece will include BIP along with the new module.
Carol Katz reported that the Summer Reading list will be available online at www.summerreading.org. Melissa added that there will be shared reading lists with TeachingBooks.net. Kathy reported that the theme of the Catholic Schools Seminar was Graphic Novels. Melissa stated that there was positive feedback on the majority of the Spring Conferences. Content will be available on the SLS wiki.
Barbara Stripling reports:
Central DOE will begin a new focus on College Readiness, a long-term K-16 strategy to ensure that all students are ready to graduate. When the DOE has a focus, we can meet that with a library approach. The 21st Century Learner (AASL) along with our Information Fluency Continuum and Grade Level Benchmarks demonstrate that libraries are the only department that can meet this need across the curriculum. We will be developing templates for student assessment at our summer institute. We plan to collaborate with CUNY to look at the learning gaps of college freshmen and develop strategies to meet those needs. Robert suggested that we identify a contact person at CUNY.
He added that colleges are beginning to use online assessments and high school students need to become familiar with that testing format. Linda mentioned that TRAILS could be used with the incoming bridge classes over the summer.
A discussion followed regarding the inability of college freshmen to utilize the library effectively, and of their lack of understanding of the need for the library. An additional concern is that many young teachers also feel that the availability of information on the Internet makes libraries and books irrelevant. Robert suggested that librarians offer a presentation to high school students about what is expected of a college-level research assignment.
Barbara Stripling reports:
There will be an 11% budget cut mostly from programming. We want to use our funds strategically regarding the DOE college readiness focus. What do we want to create? Mini-grants with a focus on research projects could be be very effective. These could be digital-based projects with an added element of student reflection on the inquiry process. Linda suggested e-portfolios that students could create freshman year and add to each year, always requiring students to reflect on the cognitive process. Students find it helpful to watch their own growth. Robert added that students can attach the e-portfolio to their resumes.
Barbara Stripling reports:
Principals have a Compliance Checklist and we now have an opportunity to be included. A discussion followed on developing a question to be added to a checklist that principals would be required to complete. Suggestions were offered and the final version will be forwarded to members.
Robert Nelson said that there are older school buildings in the system with no broadband and no libraries in the schools. There is not adequate staffing.There is no funding for improving this condition. He suggested a class action suit against the state since this is counter to state law that mandates libraries in schools. Barbara Stripling said that we need to write curriculum for libraries. Cyber safety = digital citizenship. This needs to be part of the curriculum. We can provide compliance.
Meeting was adjourned at 3:00 PM.
Respectfully submitted by Christine Hatami and Marion M. Stein